SPS and LPS Dying. Please Assist.

[Frostburnt]

Yea - the tank isn't that old. Did you just clean it or does it always look that clean?
I would rather be battling high nutrients at this stage than looking at low nutrient levels. Your numbers would be great if your tank was grown out already but look too dry for the establishment phase.

Your bio-load is low - and your export too high. Just my opinion.
With your load - I wouldn't expect you should have to be doing two part yet - what's eating it up? I doubt its's a disease - too slow - It could be a metal - water change - How fast is the chaeto growing?

Everything is always clean, except for the tank glass.

I'm working on increasing the bioload, but I'm being careful not to go too fast. I've been down the GHA takeover in other systems. It's such a pain. I've drastically increased feeding and added reef Roids and reef chili thrice a week to help with po4. I have a few more fish on my list, but it takes time.

Coraline is eating up the two part. I have over 100g total water volume and I'm only using 10ml of ESV per day.

Chaeto is growing fairly slow, but steady and dense. I should probably prune it back to a small softball size. It's mostly filling about 30g of space.

 

[Frostburnt]

I'd take out the marinepure block.

Whys that?

 

[Frostburnt]

I know you said you tested for stray voltage, but how did you test? Did you put the ground lead in the outlet ground? Did you test AC or DC? Don't take offense, you would be surprised at how many people test for stray voltage with both leads in the tank.

Yes ground lead in the outlet ground. AC and DC just for good measure because I wasnt sure.

 

[Tiffany Johnson]

aluminum leaching from the blocks

 

[Flippers4pups]

Whys that?

One of many threads about it.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/marine-pure-does-release-some-form-of-al-into-tank.355397/

 

[robert]

Everything is always clean, except for the tank glass.

I'm working on increasing the bioload, but I'm being careful not to go too fast. I've been down the GHA takeover in other systems. It's such a pain. I've drastically increased feeding and added reef Roids and reef chili thrice a week to help with po4. I have a few more fish on my list, but it takes time.

Coraline is eating up the two part. I have over 100g total water volume and I'm only using 10ml of ESV per day.

Chaeto is growing fairly slow, but steady and dense. I should probably prune it back to a small softball size. It's mostly filling about 30g of space.

Sound like a plan...but one thing bugs me a little with this explanation. Corals are meant to survive in a nutrient desert - maybe not grow so fast but, but not die either.
For a coral to waste that quickly (I know its months) - they have to be expending energy - commonly its spent trying to maintain osmotic balance. I know you've got an ATO on the system- have you had it all along? Is it tuned adequately? Have you had salinity swings?

Any salinity swing will waste your corals away - slowly - especially in low nutrient environment. If your nutrients were higher - you might not have noticed it.

 

[Frostburnt]

One of many threads about it.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/marine-pure-does-release-some-form-of-al-into-tank.355397/

Seems like people are saying it can cause some issues for leather corals. But my nepthea is doing great. And it shouldn't affect SPS. But I guess only the ICP test will tell

 

[Frostburnt]

Sound like a plan...but one thing bugs me a little with this explanation. Corals are meant to survive in a nutrient desert - maybe not grow so fast but, but not die either.
For a coral to waste that quickly (I know its months) - they have to be expending energy - commonly its spent trying to maintain osmotic balance. I know you've got an ATO on the system- have you had it all along? Is it tuned adequately? Have you had salinity swings?

Any salinity swing will waste your corals away - slowly - especially in low nutrient environment. If your nutrients were higher - you might not have noticed it.

It's been on the system for a few months And its kept my salinity rock solid. I test it daily because I had some swings prior to setting it up But I didnt have any corals in the system at the time.

This whole thing has been very confusing and frustrating.

 

[Thingsibuild]

I just had same problem.
Started with rusted magnet, then water changes were making it worst.
Changed my ro/di filters,then did 200% wc over the course of a week keeping my parameters stable.
Tank is looking alot better.
I had 0 tds coming out of my ro/di but something was getting thru.
Not saying this is your problem but something to think about.
Lots of wc cant hurt as long as you keep parameters the same.

 

[danreefman]

I squirt oyster feast when all else fail. Usually water sorce or not enough food. Be careful with new tank. And smaller sized tank. Could also try amino acid. Corals that are sick enjest acids easier than regular food. Helps to repair. Really it all boils down to learning and knowing your tank. Unfortunately this can sometimes take 2 years.

 

[danreefman]

I change my rodi every month and half to 2 months. About every 500-600 gallons. I don't go off TDS.

 

[MARK M. DAVIS]

I recommend the ICP Triton test. Parameters at a glance don't look bad.

 

[ScottB]

If Nitrate is really .5 then raising that is where I would begin. Shoot for 5-10. All my sticks fade when I bounce around 0 NO3 and/or 0 PO4. And then the dinos appear.

I would NOT do ALL of these things at the same time, but choose one or two: Remove skimmer cup (or dump skimmate back in sump), increase feedings, reduce light cycle on chaeto or cut it back more, you get the picture. You are just a bit too efficient or nutrient export for this age of your system.

I run 5 of the Marine Pure blocks in low flow sump areas and love them. I don't keep leathers tho.

 

[Frag Frank]

I'm having the same issue the only difference is my system has high No3 of 20ppm and phosphates at .1ppm